[EN] I worked in customer call for more than a year. My routine started making phone calls nonstop at 8AM. At weekend I formed a choir, rehearsing for hours with different voices, musicians and many others hours singing, plus many other common situations and social events, etc. Thankfully this story has a happy ending: I’m in perfect condition to begin a career in opera singing. We all want to be heard and that’s not a problem… the problem is HOW we do it.

1 COMMON SENSE sure you know people that successfully communicates although many vices, but you leave the exceptions for exceptional cases: Avoid anything that alters your vocal performance (less than 6 hours sleep, consuming harmful substances) and don’t yell ¡Hear your body! Use the space and approach others. Economize the use of the voice in the middle of noise and don’t speak against the wind direction. Avoid tight clothing and take care of sudden temperature changes.

2 HYDRATION It is recommended the habit of carrying a water bottle at room temperature. How much? Between 1.5 and 2 liters per day. You don’t need to drink extreme amounts but do that frequently, in order to maintain the vocal cords hydrated. Don’t abuse your voice if you drink alcohol or caffeine.

3 TECHNIQUE You can’t speed up a car from 0 to 100km/h in seconds without heating the engine. The same thing happens to us: Our instrument requires time and space to reach their peak performance. Keep good posture, be free of tension (especially in the face, neck and shoulder area) and promotes breathing at the bottom of the lungs (lower abdomen and ribs floating around them). Start at low volume with clean speech (avoiding mucus or food scraps) and well articulated (make sure you sound clear whether you talk or sing).

4 CONSULTATION Remember: Better safe than sorry (There isn’t larynx transplant!). Visits to audiologist / speech therapist and audiologist are highly recommended for any inconvenience. Any vocal disturbance that lasts more than 15 days is dangerous. Reduce voice use in periods of illness.

I hope these tips serve you! I dare you to incorporate and share themIf you want to hear me, let me invite you to visit my soundcloud profile.